U.S. patent number 6,715,187 [Application Number 10/295,876] was granted by the patent office on 2004-04-06 for zip fastener top-end piece arrangement.
Invention is credited to Wallace Wang.
United States Patent |
6,715,187 |
Wang |
April 6, 2004 |
Zip fastener top-end piece arrangement
Abstract
A zip fastener top-end piece arrangement in which the top-end
piece of the zipper tape is formed of a top block and a bottom
block, the bottom block having a top recessed hole, the top block
having a bottom springy hook, which is disengaged from the top
recessed hole of the bottom block to open the passage between the
top block and the bottom block for enabling the zipper slide to be
coupled to the zipper tape, or hooked in the top recessed hole of
the bottom block to close the passage between the top block and the
bottom block-after installation of the zipper slide in the zipper
tape.
Inventors: |
Wang; Wallace (Taipei Hsien,
TW) |
Family
ID: |
32030448 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/295,876 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/436 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B
19/386 (20130101); Y10T 24/2598 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A44B
19/24 (20060101); A44B 19/38 (20060101); A44B
019/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;24/387,388,436 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Brittain; James R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Troxell Law Office PLLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A zip fastener top-end piece arrangement comprising a zipper
tape having a longitudinal row of teeth, and a top-end piece
fixedly located on said zipper tape and a top end of said
longitudinal row of teeth and adapted to limit upward movement of a
sipper slide being coupled to said zipper tape, said top-end piece
comprising a bottom block fixedly fastened to said zipper tape and
said top end of said row of teeth and a top block injection-molded
on said zipper tape and defining with said bottom block an open
space, said top block having an outer top stop edge and a protruded
inner bottom stop portion for stopping upward movement of the
zipper slide being coupled to said zipper tape, wherein said top
block comprises a springy hook downwardly extended from a bottom
sidewall thereof toward the bottom block; said bottom block has a
recessed hole disposed in a top side thereof and adapted to receive
said springy hook; said springy hook being forced away from said
recessed hole when the user insert a zipper slide through said open
space into engagement with said zipper tape; said springy hook
being forced into engagement with said recessed hole by the zipper
slide being coupled to said zipper tape when the zipper slide being
coupled to said zipper tape pulled upwards to said top block.
2. The zip fastener top-end piece arrangement as claimed in claim
1, wherein said top block has two bottom notches formed in the
bottom sidewall at two sides of said springy hook.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to zip fasteners and, more
specifically, to a zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which
effectively prevents the zipper slide from falling out of the
zipper tape when the zip fastener unfastened.
The top-end pieces of regular nylon zip fasteners include two
types, namely, the metal type and the plastic type. A metal top-end
piece is fixedly fastened to the zipper tape and the top end of the
row of teeth by crimping. A plastic top-end piece is fixedly
fastened to the zipper tape and the top end of the row of teeth by
an ultrasonic sealing apparatus. A metal top-end piece tends to be
forced away from the zipper tape, and may injure the user's fingers
easily when the user closing or opening the zip fastener. The
method of fastening a plastic top-end piece to a zipper tape has
drawbacks. As shown in FIG. 1, the plastic top-end piece 31 covers
a part of the top sidewall of the zipper tape 3 over the top end of
the row of teeth. Because the plastic top-end piece 31 is connected
to the top sidewall of the zipper tape 3 only, it tends to be
forced away from the zipper tape 3. Further, the sharp corner edges
311 of the plastic top-end piece 31 may injure the user's fingers
accidentally when the user opening or closing the zip fastener.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a zip
fastener top-end piece arrangement, which eliminates the aforesaid
drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a
zip fastener top-end piece arrangement, which prohibits the zipper
slide from falling out of the zipper tape. It is another object of
the present invention to provide a zip fastener top-end piece
arrangement, which does not injure the user's fingers when the user
opening/closing the zip fastener. To achieve these and other
objects of the present invention, the zip fastener top-end piece
arrangement comprises a zipper tape having a longitudinal row of
teeth, and a top-end piece fixedly located on the zipper tape and a
top end of the longitudinal row of teeth and adapted to limit
upward movement of the sipper slide being coupled to the zipper
tape. The top-end piece comprises a bottom block bonded to the
zipper tape and the top end of the row of teeth, and a top block
injection-molded on the zipper tape and defining with the bottom
block an open space. The top block comprises an outer top stop edge
and a protruded inner bottom stop portion for stopping upward
movement of the zipper slide being coupled to the zipper tape. The
top block further comprises a springy hook downwardly extended from
a bottom sidewall thereof toward the bottom block. The bottom block
has a recessed hole disposed in a top side thereof and adapted to
receive the springy hook. The springy hook is forced away from the
recessed hole when the user inserts the zipper slide through the
open space into engagement with the zipper tape. The springy hook
is forced into engagement with the recessed hole by the zipper
slide being coupled to the zipper tape when the zipper slide being
coupled to the zipper tape pulled upwards to the top block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a zipper tape for nylon zip fastener
according to the prior art, showing the structure of the top-end
piece.
FIG. 2 is a plain view of a nylon zip fastener according to the
present invention before installation of the zipper slide.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one zipper tape of the nylon
zip fastener according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the other zipper tape of the
nylon zip fastener according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a plain view of the nylon zip fastener according to the
present invention, showing the rows of teeth of the zipper tapes
interlocked.
FIG. 6 is a plain view of a part of the present invention before
insertion of the zipper slide into the open space between the top
block and bottom block of the top-end piece of one zipper tape
according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a plain view in an enlarged scale of a part of the
present invention, showing the spring hook of the top block hooked
in the recessed hole of the bottom block.
FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but showing the cord of the zipper tape
bent in one direction, the spring hook disengaged from the recessed
hole of the bottom block.
FIG. 9 is a plain view showing the zipper slide inserted into the
open space between the top block and bottom block of the top-end
piece of one zipper tape according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a sectional plain view of a part of the nylon zip
fastener according to the present invention, showing the zipper
slide coupled to the zipper tape, the spring hook forced into
engagement with the recessed hole of the top block.
FIG. 11 is a plain view of the nylon zip fastener according to the
present invention, showing the zipper slide moved to the upper
limit position.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged view in section of a part of FIG. 11,
showing the zipper slide stopped at the upper limit position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 2-10, two zipper tapes 10 form with a zipper
slide 2 a nylon zip fastener. Each zipper tape 10 has a
longitudinal cord 101 extended along the outer longitudinal side
thereof, a row of teeth 13 arranged along the outer longitudinal
side and respectively passed over the longitudinal cord 101, a
top-end piece 1 of 1' fixedly located on the longitudinal side 101
at the top end of the row of teeth 13. One top-end piece 1' is
directly injection-molded on the corresponding zipper tap 10.
According to the present preferred embodiment, the top-end piece 1'
has a substantially c-shaped cross-section covered on the top end
(the first tooth) of the respective row of teeth 13 and the bottom
sidewall of the respective zipper tape 10 over the side edge of the
outer longitudinal side of the respective zipper tape 10 (see FIG.
4). Alternatively, the top side of the top-end piece 1' may be
extended over the top side of the first tooth of the row of teeth
13 and then covered downwards at right angles and covered over the
protruding upper face of the first tooth of the row of teeth 13,
i.e., the top-end piece 1' can be made to cover the top side and
two opposite lateral sides of the first tooth of the row of teeth
13. The top-end piece 1' has an outer top stop edge 111' facing the
other top-end piece 1, and a protruded inner stop portion 112'
suspended above the respective zipper tape 10.
The other top-end piece 1 comprises a top block 11 injection-molded
on the respective zipper tape 10, a bottom block 12, and an open
space 5 between the top block 11 and the bottom block 12. The top
block 11 has a substantially c-shaped cross-section (see FIG. 3)
injection-molded on and covered over the respective zipper tape 10
and the first tooth of the respective row of teeth 13. The width of
the top block 11 is wider than the teeth of the row of teeth 13.
The top block 11 has an outer top edge 111 facing the outer stop
edge 111' of the top-end piece 1, a protruded inner bottom stop
potion 112 suspended above the respective zipper tape 10. The
bottom block 12 is bonded to the respective zipper tape 10 by an
ultrasonic sealing apparatus.
By means of the open space 5 between the top block 11 and the
bottom block 12 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), the zipper slide 2 can easily
be forced into engagement with the corresponding zipper tape 10 (se
e FIGS. 9 and 10), keeping the outer top stop edge 111 of the top
block 11 stopped against one side of the middle partition block 21
of the zipper slide 2 a nd protruded inner bottom stop portion 112
stopped against the front end of one sidewall 22 of the zipper
slide 2 (see FIG. 10).
The main features of the present invention are outlined
hereinafter. The top block 11 of the top-end piece 1 comprises a
springy hook 113 downwardly extended from the bottom side toward
the bottom block 12. The springy hook 113 has a tip 1131 hooked in
a recessed hole 121 in the top side of the bottom block 12. When
the zipper slide 2 forced through the open space 5 between the top
block 11 and the bottom block 12 the zipper slide 2 into engagement
with the corresponding zipper tape 10, the zipper slide 2 pushes
the springy hook 113 away from the recessed hole 121 of the bottom
block 12, and therefore the zipper slide 2 can easily be set into
engagement with the corresponding zipper tape 10. When pulling the
zipper slide 2 upwards after the zipper slide 2 has been coupled to
the corresponding zipper tape 10, the springy hook 113 is forced
inwards into engagement with the recessed hole 121 of the bottom
block 12 by the lateral side wall of the zipper slide 2 to close
the op en space 5, and therefore the zipper slide 2 is prohibited
from falling out of the corresponding zipper tape 10.
When inserting the zipper slide 2 into the open space 5 between the
top block 11 and the bottom block 12, the cord 101 of the
corresponding zipper tape 10 at the area below the top block 11 can
be bent inwards to disengage the springy hook 113 of the top block
11 from the recessed hole 121 of the bottom block 12 (see FIG. 8),
so that the zipper slide 2 can be moved through the gap 4 between
the springy hook 113 and the bottom block 12 into engagement with
the corresponding zipper tape 10.
The top block 11 of the top-end piece 1 further comprises two
bottom notches 114 and 115 at two sides of the top end (fixed end)
of the springy hook 113 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The formation of the
bottom notches 1.14 and 115 in the bottom side of the top block 11
enhances the spring power of the springy hook 113.
The outer top stop edge 111 of the top block 11 is chamfered,
preventing injury to the user's fingers. The corner edges of the
bottom block 12 are also chamfered. Similarly, the outer top stop
edge 111' and protruded inner stop portion 112' of the top-end
piece 1' are chamfered, preventing injury to the user's
fingers.
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, when the zipper slide 2 pulled to the
upper limit position to close the zip fastener, the outer top stop
edge 111 and 111' of the top-end pieces 1 and 1' are respectively
stopped against the two opposite lateral sides of the middle
partition block 21 of the zipper slide 2, and the protruded inner
stop portion 112' of one top-end piece 1' and the protruded inner
bottom stop portion 112 of the other top-end piece 1 are
respectively stopped at the top ends of the sidewalls 22 and 22' of
the zipper slide 2, and therefore the zipper slide 2 is stopped
from upward movement relative to the zipper tapes 10.
As indicated above, the present invention achieves the following
advantages: 1. Because the top-end pieces covered over the top and
bottom sidewalls of the zipper tape when installed, the top-end
pieces do not fall from the zipper tapes even when received a
strong external push force. 2. The springy hook of the top block is
automatically forced into engagement with the recessed hole of the
bottom block to close the passage between the top block and the
bottom block when the zipper slide pulled to the upper limit
position, and therefore the zipper slide does not fall out of the
zipper tape. 3. The top-end pieces have chamfered corner edges,
preventing injury to the user's fingers when opening or closing the
zip fastener.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail for purposes of illustration, various
modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention
is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
* * * * *